Railway and telegraph signal



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

H. J. SPRAGUE.

RAILWAY AND TELEGRAPH SIGNAL.

No. 251,310. Patented Dec. 20,1881.

N- EIERS. Pbolo-Lilhognplm. Mum 0.c.

(Np Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H.. J. SPRAGUE.

RAILWAY AND TELEGRAPH SIGNAL.

No. 251,310. Patented 1300.20.1881}.

PATENT Farce. i

HENRY J. SPRAGUE, OF ASHTON, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY AND TELEGRAPH SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 251,310, dated December 20, 1881.

Application filed August 19, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Improvements in Railway and Telegraph Signals; and 1 do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to railway-signals; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of devices, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, in which like letters indicate like parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a vertical side elevation of my improved railway-signal. Fig. 2 is a top view of same. Fig. 3 is aperspective. Fig. 4 is asectional elevation, and Fig. 5 is a detail.

A represents a railway station or office. B is a telegraph-pole or other suitable upright, and O is a ,horizontal beam or platform supporting the operating mechanism.

D is a lantern or night-signal, which is sup ported upon the upper end of a'vertical rod, E, that passes downward through the beam 0, and carries a board or day-signal, F. The daysignal is colored red, as usual, and the opposite sides of the lantern are red and white, respectively. These signals are operated by a system of levers and connecting-wires, as hereinafter described.

G is a bent lever, pivoted in bearings H upon the beam (J. This lever carries at its upper forward-projecting'end an adjustable sliding weight, I, which may be attached thereto in any convenient manner. The lower forwardprojeoting end of the lever G is forked at g, and engages with the rod E. This rod is provided with a collar, 0, and with locking-lugs f f, which are placed at right angles to each other and at different elevations upon the shaft or rod, so as to engage alternately with the forked end g of the bentlever G, and thus hold the shaft E in the desired position. A plate, h, is arranged above the opening in the beam 0 through which the shaft E passes, and around said shaft, and carries a stop-pin, k, that en- (No model.)

gages with a notch in the lower locking-lug,f, and in one arm of the fork 9. At the lower end ofthe opening in the beam O through which the shaft E passes is a plate, 7r, having a central opening for the passage of the shaft, and a slot, leading therefrom, through which slot passes a spiral cam, K, that is formed on the shaft E, and by which said shaft has imparted to it a quarter-revolution as it is raised or lowered by the action of the bent lever G. A stop-pin, m, passing through the shaft E below the plate K, by coming in contact therewith, limits its upward, movement. It will be seen that the proper signals are thus displayed as required by a vertical sliding and partial rotary movement of the supporting-shaft E.

The bent lever G is connected by a wire, (I, which is inserted in either of the openings 9 in said lever, so as to allow any necessary adjustment with a bell-crank lever, L, on the upright B, which lever is in turn connected by a wire, 0, with a crank-lever, M, that is pivoted to the beam 0 at the back of the station A.-

The shaft M of the lever M passes into the station, and is provided with a handle, I), by which the signals may be operated as desired. By throwing the handle I) backward, as shown in Fig. 1, the white side of the lantern D will be displayed and the day-signal F will be brought in line with the track. If the handle b is now brought forward and made to rest between the stop-pins or catches ca, theleverGwill thereby be drawn backward, thus releasing its forked end 9 from engagement with the lower lockinglug, f, on the shaft E, and by raising the latter impart thereto a quarter-revolution through the action of its cam K in the slot 70. This movement of the shaft E displays the red day and night signals D F. The forward movement of the handle b is limited by the pin a, and while in the position necessary to display the red signals it is held in place and prevented from slipping backward by its contact with the pin a. When the handle bis released from its engagement with the pins 0t a the weight I on thebent lever G throws its upper end forward and downward, thus releasing the fork g from its engagement with the upper 1ocking-lug,f, on the shaft E, and allowing the latter to descend with a partial rotary movement, which is imparted by the cam K, as before, so as to display the white signal on the lantern D and bring the day-signal F again in line with the track. The action of the weight I in bearing down the upper forward end of the lever G is supplemented by a spring, N, the forward end of which bears upward against the lower bend or elbow of the weighted lever.

It will be observed that by means of the alternate engagement of the upper and lower looking-lugs,ff, with the forked end got the lever G the signals are held in any desired position without being susceptible of change, except through the movements of the handle I) in the station.

Thelocking and operating mechanism of the vertically-sliding and partially-rotating shaft E is covered above by a casing, P, having a sliding sectional roof, 1?, and below by an inverted conical casin g, 12, each of which excludes snow and ice, as well as protects the parts from injurious handling.

By the action of the adjustable weight I in counteracting the weight of the wire or cables connectingthelevers with the operating-handle b in the station, the signals may be effectively operated at long distances.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railway-signal, the combination, with the vertical rod E, having collar e, locking-lugs ff, and spiral cam K, adapted to move in the slotted plate 7c, of the weighted lever G, pivoted in bearings H, and provided with forked end 9, adapted to engage alternately with the locking-lugsff, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a railway-signal, the vertical rod E, carrying suitable signals, and provided with collar eand spiral cam K, in combination with the beam 0, slotted plate It, and weighted lever G, having forked end g, said lever being pivoted in suitable bearings and provided with operating mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

3. In a railway-signal, the combination, with the shaft E, carrying signals D F, and adapted to havea vertical sliding movement in the beam 0 at each quarter-revolution of the weighted lever G, bell crank lever L, crank-lever M, having operating-handle b, andthe connecting wires or cables 0 d, whereby appropiiatesignals are displayed by a simple movement of the handle I), substantially as shown and described.

4. In a railway-signal, the combination, with the shaft E and its connected mechanism, of the casings P and n, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY J. S PRAGUE.

WVitncs'ses:

SAML. J. HOWE,

NATHAN A. PETRIE. 

